China shares on Tuesday were trying to extend a rally to an eighth straight day and were up at midday, helped by gains for consumer and healthcare firms. At 04:03 GMT, the Shanghai Composite index was up 2.76 points or 0.08 per cent at 3,412.24.
China's blue-chip CSI300 index was up 0.4 per cent, with its financial sector sub-index higher by 0.41 per cent, the consumer staples sector up 2.92 per cent, the real estate index down 0.6 per cent and healthcare sub-index up 1.19 per cent. Chinese H-shares listed in Hong Kong rose 0.32 per cent to 12,274.24, while the Hang Seng Index was up 0.37 percent at 31,014.32.
The smaller Shenzhen index was up 0.07 per cent and the start-up board ChiNext Composite index was weaker by 0.25 per cent. Around the region, MSCI's Asia ex-Japan stock index was firmer by 0.19 per cent, while Japan's Nikkei index was up 0.58 per cent. The yuan was quoted at 6.502 per US dollar, 0.06 per cent weaker than the previous close of 6.4984.
The largest percentage gainers in the main Shanghai Composite index were Shanghai Jiaoda Onlly Co Ltd up 10.06 per cent, followed by Easysight Supply Chain Management Co Ltd gaining 9.98 per cent and Sichuan Languang Development Co Ltd up by 9.98 per cent. The largest percentage losses in the Shanghai index were Jiangsu Protruly Vision Technology Group Co Ltd down 4.97 per cent, followed by BOCO Inter-Telecom Co Ltd losing 4.94 percent and Sinovel Wind Group Co Ltd down by 4.88 per cent.
This year, the Shanghai stock index is up 3.09 per cent, while China's H-share index is up 4.5 per cent. The top gainers among H-shares were Ping An Insurance Group Co of China Ltd up 2.74 per cent, followed by Dongfeng Motor Group Co Ltd gaining 2.53 per cent and New China Life Insurance Co Ltd up by 2.44 per cent.
The three biggest H-shares percentage decliners were Anhui Conch Cement Co Ltd which has fallen 2.62 per cent, Air China Ltd which has lost 2.3 per cent and China Shenhua Energy Co Ltd down by 2.2 per cent.
About 10.98 billion shares have traded so far on the Shanghai exchange, roughly 70.7 per cent of the market's 30-day moving average of 15.53 billion shares a day. The volume traded was 23.62 billion as of the last full trading day. As of 04:04 GMT, China's A-shares were trading at a premium of 27.15 per cent over the Hong Kong-listed H-shares.
The Shanghai stock index is above its 50-day moving average and above its 200-day moving average. The price-to-earnings ratio of the Shanghai index was 15.35 as of the last full trading day while the dividend yield was 1.9 per cent. So far this week, the market capitalisation of the Shanghai stock index has risen by 0.51 per cent to 29.86 trillion yuan.
In Hong Kong, the sub-index of the Hang Seng index tracking energy shares dipped per cent, while the IT sector rose 1.1 per cent. The top gainer on Hang Seng was Sands China Ltd up 3.38 per cent, while the biggest loser was Hengan International Group Company Ltd which was down 3.55 per cent.